bribe
by cedricsowner
Summary: Often the worst monsters don't hide behind the next corner but deep inside ourselves. This time I split up the team to create some space for Hotch, Morgan and Garcia alongside my all-time favorite Agent Rossi. Please mind the rating!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

bribe

_According to the Thomas theorem any situation that people define as real has real consequences, no matter how irrational or far-fetched the definition may seem to an outsider. As the British found out the hard way during the so-called "Great Indian Mutiny" of 1857, ignoring or disrespecting a person's definition of the world can lead to terrible violence and bloodshed. On the other hand: As the Jonestown massacre has drastically shown, simply accepting a person's view of the world can lead to equally much death and destruction. _

BAU Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner could be a bully and a drill sergeant sometimes, as his team had once put it, back at the Hankel farm. Such personal traits didn't go down well with everyone – Agent Ivanhoe Salisbury for example. He felt rubbed the wrong way by Hotchner's iron self-discipline, his strict rule-abidance and his utter lack of humor. Or maybe it was just plain jealousy because the BAU had one of the best records in the whole Bureau and Salisbury's unit definitely hadn't. Besides that the two men had had a run-in over the misconduct of one of Ivanhoe's team members some time ago. On Hotchner's insistence, the agent in question was fired, much to the other Unit Chief's disapproval.

Jason Gideon once quipped that every person with a first name like Ivanhoe but looking like Bill Gates without Microsoft was bound to turn into a misanthrope. So when this very Agent Salisbury turned up at the premises of the BAU, looking like the cat that ate the canary, everyone knew that something was out of kilter. Way too politely he asked Hotchner for a few minutes of his time. The Unit Chief led him into his office.

"Everything alright, Aaron?", Salisbury asked, a slight sort of sing-song detectable in his voice. Oh boy, was he in a good mood. "You've done great with this case in Baton Rouge. I'm deeply impressed - a dozen people saved, the perpetrator behind bars, not a single drop of blood lost. Who could ask for more? The powers of profiling, eh?"

"Is there anything I can do for you, Agent Salisbury?", Hotchner asked, as matter-of-factly as possible without being ostentatiously impolite.

"Your team seems to be quite a tight-knit bunch", the auburn-haired agent continued, completely ignoring his colleague's question. He was obviously following some kind of game plan. "Must be difficult for a newbie to get a foot in the door, don't you think? How are things going with Penelope Garcia's replacement?"

"Melissa Epson is not Garcia's _replacement_, she's just temporarily _standing in_ while Garcia is recovering from her back surgery", Hotch all but snapped.

"So Ms. Epson will be gone in a few weeks, won't she?", Salisbury said.

"Yes, she will", the profiler answered curtly.

The other Unit Chief smiled: "Ah, I see. That's probably why you're not paying as much attention to her as you would to your regular team members."

Aaron Hotchner wasn't a man to get unsettled easily. "Excuse me…?"

Triumph blazing in his eyes, Salisbury took out a small box and placed it on Hotchner's desk. "Customs discovered this yesterday morning in a passenger's bag at JFK Airport."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

Melissa had spent the morning in her temporary office, doing really boring stuff such as maintaining the unit's official website. No one had bothered her. That was nothing uncommon – these BAU people were really nice, but she wasn't part of the team and they – though involuntarily - let her feel it. Penelope Garcia was deeply missed, especially by Agent Morgan who made the impression of having lost a vital body part.

Around noon, Melissa felt her attention slowly dwindle and decided that it was time for some extra strong coffee and a dose of sugar in the form of a glazed donut. Much to her surprise, she found the bullpen area empty. That was strange – had they gone on a case without telling her? No, surely not, Hotchner was way too meticulous for that. Just as she was about to shrug it off and go for her donut, one of the doors opened and Jennifer Jareau appeared, calling her to attend a meeting in the conference room.

Watching Melissa Epson approach, JJ couldn't help but think that she was the exact opposite of Penelope Garcia: Petite, skinny, introvert and quiet, preferring unobtrusive colors like gray and black. Her slightly aubergine-dyed shoulder-length hair came across as an attempt to upgrade her appearance, nipped in the bud due to losing heart during the process. Agent Salisbury's discovery made all these personal traits appear in a whole new light.

As Melissa entered the conference room, she found the rest of the team already assembled. Was it just her or were they studying her more intensely than usual? "You're just on edge, that's all", she told herself. "Rossi always looks askance and wary like a wolf on night watch. Hotchner always wears this stern, no-nonsense expression as if he was about to arrest you." The young researcher got sidetracked, wondering if she had ever seen Hotch smile.

Reid had placed the small black box Agent Salisbury had brought right in the middle of the table so that Ms. Epson couldn't possibly miss it. She didn't. They all watched her reaction carefully. Melissa glanced curiously at the shiny little thing, sat down and looked at the agents expectantly. She obviously had no idea what the box contained. Interesting. Bandying looks with Rossi, Aaron Hotchner went ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

"How are you, Melissa?" he asked, friendly but matter-of-factly.

This question unsettled the young woman visibly: "Oh, uh, fine, thanks." The Unit Chief realized he had never asked her a question like that before.

"You seem to have had an accident", Rossi chipped in, pointing at the bandage that covered most of her right hand.

"You've been wearing this for almost a week now", Hotchner followed straight, increasing the pressure. "Does it heal badly?"

"I hurt myself during the weekend, while doing some gardening", Melissa stuttered, obviously uncomfortable now. "Dirt must have gotten into the wound…"

"Let me guess: You were chopping wood and the axe slid?", Rossi took over again.

"Excuse me?!?" Panic lit up in the technical researcher's eyes.

Before she could even attempt to flee, Rossi reached over the table, grabbed her left wrist, held it tight and started unwrapping the bandage. Graceful as a cat Morgan got up, took position behind her chair and placed his strong hands on her shoulders in a gentle, but unmistakably earnest gesture.

"There's no use in fighting", Rossi told her calmly as she struggled fruitlessly against his iron grip. "Why in the world did you hide something like this from us?" He reached the last layer of the bandage.

"Don't!", the woman cried, positively pleading now.

"We already know, Melissa", Hotchner said, took the small box, placed it right in front of her and opened it. Prentiss briefly wondered how odd it was that the action vaguely resembled a bachelor presenting a ring to his loved one – nothing could be further apart from an engagement ring than the contents of that box.

Seeing what was inside the casket the technical researcher's face lost all color. It contained two fingers, a little finger and a ring finger, proudly displayed on shimmering black velvet. Meanwhile Rossi removed the last part of the antiseptic dressing, revealing a maimed hand with two accurately sewn up, almost healed wounds.

"Customs discovered this a day ago in a passenger's carry-on baggage at JFK Airport", the Unit Chief told her. The baggage's owner claimed it was some odd family heirloom embalmed decades ago, but the coroner said the fingers were cut off recently. They ran the prints through the computer and – to their utter surprise – found an FBI employee."

"Would you like to rephrase your version of what happened to your hand last weekend?", Rossi asked, dark eyes burning into her.

Melissa averted her gaze. "This is none of your business", she whispered hoarsely.

"None of our business?", Hotch couldn't believe it. "Someone caused you two great injuries and you just ignore it?"

"You work here, you're a member of the team. One member gets in trouble, the others help. We care for each other", JJ told her with emphasis.

"The hell you do", the young woman burst out, suddenly fed up with the whole situation. "You only care because this…" She wrested herself free from Rossi and pushed unsuccessfully against Morgan's grip on her shoulders. "… makes _you_ look bad. The best profilers in the world don't notice for _a week_ that something's amiss with a colleague they work with every day? I bet Salisbury had a field day and Strauss is still dancing around in her office, doing a one-man victory parade. You've got no reason whatsoever to question me like this. I chopped my fingers off when I slammed my car's door shut. Then I sold them at E-Bay – that might be gross and unethical, but it's not illegal. Stay out of my business!" She managed to shake Morgan off.

"We only want to help you!", Prentiss insisted, totally taken aback.

"The only one you want to help is yourself!", Melissa hissed, exited the room and slammed the door shut.

"She doesn't really think we'll leave this alone, does she?", Reid piped up after a moment of strained silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

It took Garcia a while to get to the door, but when she finally managed to open it, she was rewarded with the sight of her best friend, waiting patiently to be let in.

"Oh my God", she chirped, "I totally forgot!"

Morgan gave her a smile: "Forgot what?"

"It must be my birthday today – why else would someone send such a fine example of pure masculinity to my door?"

Her friend ostentatiously took a look at himself: "Present? I can see no wrappings!"

"Who would _want_ to wrap a body like yours? There's a reason these ancient Greek statues are all naked."

The agent grinned in appreciation of her wittiness, but then his facial expression changed from playful to serious. "Garcia, what are you doing here? I spoke to the people from the rehab center and they said you left a week ago at your own request. This is unbelievable! When I called you, you made me think you were still at the center. How dare you play such tricks on me? Besides that your doctor said your rehabilitation process is far from completed. You shouldn't be here, girl."

All of a sudden, his friend turned away, tears in her eyes, all glow gone. Morgan was shocked. "Hey, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's not you", Garcia replied, almost trembling. "I just don't want to go back to that place…"

"The rehab center? Who hurt you there?" Judging from the sharp edge in Morgan's voice he was ready to make sure with all means necessary that no one would hurt her again.

"Nobody", she explained. "The rehab was so hard. I just couldn't keep up with the program. No matter how much I tried, they always told me I needed to do more. They said it's all my fault needing the back surgery in the first place because I'm too fat."

"They didn't phrase it like that, did they?", the agent growled.

"No, but that's what they meant. Derek, I just wanted to go home and be useful again. In the center they treated me like I was nothing but useless ballast…" Her voice trailed off in silent sadness.

SSA Morgan almost exploded: "You're not! Absolutely not! That's why I'm here – we need you, Garcia." He told her about Melissa Epson and her missing fingers. "The fingers were found in the possession of someone named Mortimer Waltham. We need you to find a connection between them."

Garcia was on fire immediately. As fast as she could in her condition, she rushed to the computer and typed away. "This feels good, Derek", she said, her spirits reawakening.

"Don't let anyone ever tell you you're useless", Morgan told her in grave earnest. "But nevertheless – a back surgery is no picnic. You won't fully recover unless you complete your rehab." Great terror lit up in the technical researcher's eyes. "Don't worry, sweetheart", her friend assured her, "you won't have to go back to that terrible place again. We'll figure something out."

At this very moment, Garcia's computer signaled. "I found the connection!", she triumphed. "Rehab doctors of the world, avert your eyes and cover your faces in shame for the goddess of omniscient knowledge is back with a bang!"

"There's my babygirl again", Morgan stated with satisfaction, quietly deciding that he and that rehab doctor would have a little chat nevertheless.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

Morgan informed the rest of the team that the connection between Mortimer Waltham and Melissa Epson was her brother Joseph. Mortimer Waltham was the CEO of a private bank in New York where Joseph Epson worked as a financial analyst. What they had to do now was to find out how Melissa's fingers ended up in Waltham's possession.

Hotch made some decisions: "Rossi, can you take the team to New York and speak with the brother and the CEO? I'd like to resume talks with Melissa Epson. Someone cut off two of her fingers. It must have been a horrible experience and she's obviously repressing it. She needs help."

Morgan looked up. "Hotch, could I stay around, too? There's something I need to sort out with Garcia."

The Unit Chief didn't ask his colleague to elaborate on that. He would trust him with his life anytime, so he surely trusted him with this request: If Derek Morgan said something needed sorting out, then it needed to be sorted out.

When Rossi first say Mortimer Waltham he couldn't help but think that he made the impression of a duck, trying very hard to be an eagle. Nothing in his appearance was left to chance: Right from his overly correct hairdo down to his shiny black handmade shoes everything was designed to create the image of a victorious general in the battlefield of finances.

"It's the perfection that gives him away", the senior agent thought as they met up with CEO Waltham in the presence of his lawyer. "Persons that live up to what they appear to be are never fully consistent. They always display aspects that don't quite fit with the rest. It's only natural – evolution doesn't produce perfection, just prototypes. Seemingly flawless personas are usually adapted personas without substance."

The senior agent wondered about the CEO's voice: Had he taken lessons to make it sound more confident and awe-inspiring? Unfortunately he wasn't given the chance to study it in detail – Waltham let his lawyer talk. "Mr. Waltham discovered the fingers in his office and misidentified them as family heirloom…" the attorney began.

"Oh, yes, in my family it's a tradition to hand over our ancestor's ears from one generation to the next, but I can see that fingers have some appeal, too", Rossi said in mock agreement, only to explode a second later: "Family heirloom? Are you kidding me? And what about this ridiculous _I discovered them in my office_ - bullshit? Happens to me all the time, too. Yesterday I found a foot in my desk."

The lawyer remained unmoved: "As far as I gather, Ms. Epson, the original source of the fingers, is alive, well, and not accusing my client of anything. I really don't see where the problem is."

The profiler couldn't believe his ears: "The problem is that your client was found in the possession of _human limbs_! Even if Melissa Epson had cut them off voluntarily and handed them over to him for whatever reason, it's still one of the grossest things I've ever heard of and he won't get away with it!" Reid noticed with interest that towards the end of Rossi's thunderous speech Waltham had looked up and exchanged glances with his attorney, but he had merely shaken his head. "Mark my words! You won't get away with it!", Rossi spat and motioned Prentiss and Reid to follow him outside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

The conversation with Joseph Epson began much more amiable. The financial analyst welcomed them warmly. Shocked at what the agents had to say about Melissa, he offered them any help he could give. He, his wife and his three lovely daughters lived in a spacious house in a middle-class neighborhood. All around property was for sale, but Mr. Epson made a very relaxed impression. "My boss told me only recently that the powers that be wanted to sack me but he made sure my job is safe, no matter what", he explained.

The only thing odd about him was the fact that one of his eyes was missing. Judging from the look of the scar it was rather old, probably obtained during childhood. Unfortunately he had no explanation whatsoever for how his sister's fingers ended up in his boss' possession. "I didn't even know they were acquainted with each other", he said, shrugging his shoulders and wrinkling his brow in a helpless gesture to underline his regret.

"This looks studied", Reid thought, suddenly alert. He exchanged glances with his colleagues. Prentiss and Rossi had noticed this, too. The gesture was too calculated, to embellished – nobody shrugged and frowned like that, unless he had practiced in front of a mirror. Mr. Epson was a bad actor. That either meant he wasn't feeling sorry for his sister or he was lying about not knowing anything about Melissa and his boss.

"Tell us something about the relationship with your sister", Rossi asked him.

"Oh, we get along well. We don't see each other often, though. She's a loner. Other people aren't of much interest to her", he said.

"So she's selfish?", Rossi immediately pressed on.

"What? No! I never said that!"

"You said that other people aren't of much interest to her", Reid reminded him.

"That was supposed to mean that she likes to keep herself apart!"

"You could have said that", Reid insisted. "But instead you said: _Other people aren't of much interest to her._ Besides that your voice changed when you spoke that sentence. Your tone pitch dropped. This usually indicates a strong emotional connection with the statement in question."

"How did you lose your eye?", Rossi asked. Joseph Epson's face turned into a stone mask.

While Rossi, Reid and Prentiss were trying to break their way through Joseph's defenses, Hotchner was facing an equally solid wall of resistance from Epson's sister. "I know you're upset and you've got every right to be – I should've asked you what was wrong with your hand… but I simply forgot." The Unit Chief suddenly had a vague impression of what Haley must have felt, being let down by her husband numerous times whenever he had been busy with a case. He painfully remembered the morning he had forgotten to accompany her and Jack to hospital.

Melissa turned to him and looked him straight in the eyes: "There's really no reason to apologize. Why in the world should you be sorry? You're not superman. You can't do everything so you've got to set priorities. This requires certain rules. According to yours, the team and the respective case at hand is more important than anything else. Since I'm not part of the team, it's only logical that you concentrated on Garcia. Rules can never be entirely sufficient. They're bound to affect a bigger or smaller group of people adversely because true perfection is impossible in an ever-developing world. Nevertheless you can't live without rules."

Her words reverberated in Hotch's mind. All of a sudden everything made sense. He walked out of the room, reached for his phone and called Rossi in New York. "Rules!" he told his colleague. "That's the key word. What always bothered me was that Melissa doesn't show any kind of anguish over the loss of her limbs. That's because it somehow fits into her value system. If we decipher that, we'll find out what all this is about."

"Agent Rossi?" Joseph Epson's wife was standing in the doorframe. "Could I talk to you for a second?" Rossi switched off his phone and turned around to face a very pale woman.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

Half an hour later Rossi called Hotchner back. "Mrs. Epson just told me an interesting story: When Melissa and Joseph were little, she found out that her brother had stolen money. The father knew that Melissa was hiding something from him and pressurized her into betraying Joseph. The father beat the boy so violently that he lost an eye. Little Melissa found herself in a classical conflict – hiding the truth from her father had been wrong, but betraying her brother had been equally wrong, especially since he lost an eye thanks to her. My guess is she developed a desperate need to compensate for her "misdeed". The chance opened when Joseph Epson was in danger of being fired due to the financial crisis. I think Melissa Epson went to Mortimer Waltham and offered him two fingers in exchange for her brother's job. It's not quite _an eye for an eye_, but it goes in the same direction."

"It would fit with her non-regret concerning the missing limbs", Hotchner agreed. "We should have known beforehand… her total unobtrusiveness points to a violent childhood. It's a survival strategy – don't catch anyone's attention, then you don't get hurt. These kids are often masters at reading other people's character."

"She perceived that Waltham's whole behavior is about creating an image of fearlessness, rigor and manliness", Rossi continued. "What could support such an image more than a trophy of human origin? It's archaic and barbarian, but consider the amount of stress the CEO of a bank must face in these times of crisis. The higher the amount of stress, the more likely is a regression into instinct-driven behavior. People in the financial sector like to call their area of operation a battlefield. Ever since the burst of the housing bubble, this perception has increased. Just listen to any financial program for a minute – the martial language is appalling. With the assistance of Melissa, Mr. Waltham just went one step further down the road."

"The really interesting question is – whom did he want to impress?" Hotchner mused. "Think about the way the box was designed – the shimmering velvet, the costly material… Waltham wanted to _show_ the fingers to somebody."

"Somebody who appreciates the sight of human limbs probably appreciates the sight of some other things, too", Rossi stated gravely. "We must find out where Waltham was heading that day at the airport."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

"Okay, Baby, give it to me one more time… Yes! Yes! This feels good, doesn't it?" Morgan released his hold on Garcia's hip.

"You know what would really motivate me? You taking your shirt off", the technical researcher cracked, breathing unevenly.

"Not so fast, sugar pie. I've got to keep an ace up my sleeve to get you through the really tough exercises."

"What? _Really tough_ exercises? I already feel as exhausted as a woman should only feel after a long night of never-ending pleasure."

"Wait till we've reached exercise 17b. It'll make you scream", Morgan promised, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"If you want to hear me scream, there's some other method that would work just as well…"

"… and it would be in an unforgettable experience. But unfortunately people recovering from back injuries are advised to avoid that kind of activity until they've completed the rehab process."

Breathing heavily, Garcia collapsed into the nearest chair. "Hey Morgan", she finally said, less playful than before, "thank you for personally tutoring me through the rest of the rehab process."

"Hey sweetheart, I teach close combat at FBI Academy, I've got a full fitness instructor license, so it would be a grave failure not to help my best friend. Especially since the rehab center was so kind and gave me all the details on the exercises that were meant for you." Morgan had had his little chat with the doctor in charge, leaving a very scared man behind. "Besides that, we need you for the case."

Speaking of the devil, Morgan's cell phone rang. It was Hotchner with a request for Garcia: "Waltham wanted to fly to San Diego the day customs found the fingers in his possession. I've already sent Rossi, Prentiss, Reid and JJ there. They need a list of all the ties Mortimer Waltham has to this city."

"What do you think they'll find there, Hotch?", Morgan asked.

"Something very bad", Hotch stated flatly.

"I've found a connection!" Garcia shouted from the other end of the room where her computer was positioned.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

"I can't believe a judge signed this!" Dave Tillman, CEO of the First Global Bank all but squeaked in utter panic, struggling to keep up with Rossi's long strides as they walked towards the door of a warehouse on the outskirts of San Diego. Behind them, an armada of lawyers was making hectic telephone calls under the watchful eyes of several police officers. "But he did!", Rossi snapped. "Now stand back, will you?" Mr. Tillman looked shattered, like a knight whose shining armor had been taken away to reveal a kid hiding under it.

"I can't believe the judge signed the search warrant either", Reid whispered as they reached the warehouse's door. "We had practically no evidence. Just the meager information that Waltham's bank needed a loan from Tillman's bank."

"Well, it surely helped that we didn't want a search warrant for the bank or any of its databases but merely for this warehouse its existence nobody at the bank, least of all hapless Mr. Tillman there, could explain lucidly. Besides that the judge just lost his live savings thanks to the financial crisis. Representatives of the investment sector are in his bad books at the moment." Rossi opened the warehouse's door.

At first they only saw a huge empty hall with a large soot-blackened space in its center. A giant ventilator at the far end of the hall emitted an enormously loud humming sound. Its blades shimmered in the sunlight. It made the impression of only recently build in. "Looks like someone burned something here", Prentiss shouted, bending down to take a closer look at the charcoaled remains scattered all over the black space. "Bones!", she cried.

"These are just animal bones!", Dave Tillman, escorted into the building by two police officers, explained. "I know, it sounds horrible, but it's a sort of bonding ritual – we sacrifice chickens and goats… sometimes a cow. In our line of business, psychology is everything, especially in these times. By taking part in killing something we prove to ourselves what we are capable of and that we are all part of a community, facing our troubles together."

"Waltham knew what you're doing and thought by bringing you the fingers he could persuade you to give his bank the desperately-needed loan", Rossi concluded.

"The real problem of the financial crisis is that the banks don't trust each other anymore", the CEO said, looking very terrified. "They used to lend each other huge amounts of money – that kept the system running. But now everyone is afraid and protects what's left. It's true, Waltham thought he had found a way to persuade us… how shall I put it? He overacted a little. I'm desperately sorry for all the trouble."

Rossi stared at the banker for a long moment. Something was wrong. Okay, he had just confessed that he and his colleagues performed animal sacrifices as a sort of management training, but besides that something else was wrong. The way the man stood there – trembling, sweating, blinking… He was still waiting for the shit hitting the fan. They were missing something, but what… Damn, it was really hard to concentrate in the enormous noise the ventilator made…. The ventilator. "Why is the ventilator running? There's nothing in here that needs cooling!", he barked at the CEO. You build it in only recently, why?" Tillman looked as if he was about to faint. "It's the noise, isn't it? That's why you build it in! Prentiss, Reid, go to the far end of this hall and look for any signs of hidden doors and things like that. JJ, get us someone with a mobile ultrasound device – tell them to get here as fast as possible. I think there's at least one hidden room somewhere in this building!"

They searched for hours. In the end it was the ultrasound device that saved the day. Extremely cleverly hidden behind a fake wall they found a tiny cell – and a frightened young woman in it. They would have never heard her scream over the noise of the ventilator. "In their world, it's logical", Reid summed up. "They did animal sacrifices for quite some time and when the strengthening effect lessened, they started looking for a way to renew it by choosing a different sacrificial object. The bigger the breach of taboo, the more intense the feeling of power."

"It's just a prostitute!", Tillman complained as the police officers handcuffed him. "What's a lousy prostitute against the well-being of a whole company? The blood we shed made us strong! We went into battle and won!" The officers led him away.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.**

Back in Quantico they were greeted by a severely limping Agent Morgan and a very happy to be home Penelope Garcia. "Don't worry about him", she laughed as she embraced first Prentiss, than JJ. "He'll be better soon. Just sprained an ankle while demonstrating something to me." Turning to Morgan, she whispered: "Isn't it ironic that exercise 17b made us both scream? As I said before, we could have achieved that a lot easier…"

Instead of an answer, Morgan gave her a big hug.

"What's going to happen to Melissa now?", Prentiss asked.

"What she did was, as she said all along, not against the law", Rossi replied. "But she'll leave the FBI nevertheless. Her brother was totally shocked when he found out that she had done what she did solely to save his job. I guess he readjusted his verdict of her being selfish. Mr. Waltham, by the way, will face charges because of bribability. That he didn't take any money doesn't matter. I bet the jury will love the fact that he accepted human fingers instead. Melissa and her brother are planning to set up a small business – computer security. Not a bad idea, although it'll be difficult in these times. The brother will lose his spacious house. On the other hand he has regained his sister. His family is complete again. That outweighs a lot, doesn't it?"

Rossi's words reverberated in Hotch's mind. His own family was incomplete. Haley and Jack were gone. The woman he loved beyond measure had accused him of selfishly choosing his job over his family. Had he? Had him not perceiving what Melissa was going through proven that he was seeing only his team and his cases and nothing else? No. With everyday he spent at this office, around these people, they – together – managed to prevent somebody, above all Jack and Haley, to fall prey to monsters like Dave Tillman. There was only one thing Haley was right about: He had indeed sacrificed her and his son. Sacrificed them to protect them.


End file.
